Justin Kii Huenemann would have preferred taking a “listen-and-learn” approach to his new position as president and CEO of the nonprofit New Mexico Foundation in mid-May, but he didn’t have that luxury.
“The organization has not had steady, solid leadership for least a year,” he said, adding several staff members have been carrying a heavy load. That prompted him to take an active role in running the foundation nearly from the day he walked through the door.
“I’m definitely still drinking from the firehose, trying to get everything figured out,” Huenemann said.
Three weeks later, Huenemann said he feels like he has finally been able to come up for air. But it took some doing — bringing aboard consultants and a new finance director who could provide him with an accurate picture of the foundation’s finances.
“A lot of things needed to be addressed,” he said.
‘A little blip’
It was not his intention to paint a dark picture of conditions at the foundation, Huenemann said. On the contrary, he noted, the 42-year-old institution has served the state well for a long time and is likely to continue doing so.
“This is a little blip on its lifespan,” he said. “But it’s got a strong foundational base, a good board and a lot of long-term staff members.”
The New Mexico Foundation is the only statewide community foundation in New Mexico, which makes it an important organization, Huenemann said — and one that faces a unique set of challenges and opportunities.
“We are probably the largest manager in the state of fiscal sponsorships,” he said. “That means we often take on the burden of managing a grant on behalf of an organization, assuring that records are accurate and timely.”
One of the reasons he believes he was selected for the job, Huenemann said, is he has got plenty of experience as a “turnaround guy,” a leader who can parachute into a relatively chaotic situation and quickly provide a sense of calm and understanding.
His message in those situations is always the same, he said: “The sky’s not falling.”
The ability to inject a more relaxed perspective into a tense situation is something Huenemann said he picked up during his childhood growing up near Tsaile, Ariz., as a member of the Navajo Nation.
“My front yard was Canyon de Chelly [National Monument], and my backyard was the Chuska Mountains,” he said, explaining the environment instilled in him a serenity he has carried with him into adulthood.
“I didn’t know the richness of that area until I left it,” Huenemann said. “But that’s a part of my childhood I hold dear. It made me who I am. I have a profound respect for the land.”
Diversity of experience
Huenemann previously served as the president and CEO of the First People’s Fund and the Native American Community Development Institute. His résumé also includes work in higher education, architecture, local government and entrepreneurship.
Rosemary Romero, the New Mexico Foundation board president, said Huenemann’s broad experience should help the organization continue to build statewide partnerships to address the needs of New Mexicans.
“We are thrilled to have someone at the helm with his organizational and outreach skills to help us grow and reach our full potential throughout the state and nationally,” she said in a news release announcing his hiring.
Huenemann said he developed his management style over the course of many years.
“I like to say I come from a servant-leadership model,” he said. “But I didn’t just come to that — it took me several years. My job is to facilitate and help an organization and team to manage growth through collaboration and embracing new ideas.”
Describing himself as an active listener, Huenemann said, “I have strong ideas, but they’re easily moved if I hear a solid, strong idea. I’m always asking, ‘What do you think?’ ”
Despite the urgent need he faced in filling the foundation’s leadership void, Huenemann said he made the time to sit down with every staff member for at least an hour during the early days of his tenure.
“I put on two big ears,” he said.
Huenemann said he prides himself on never asking a staff member to do more than he would be willing to do himself.
As for how the New Mexico Foundation interacts with its partners across the state, Huenemann said the most important thing to remember is what the organization was created to do.
“We’re a community foundation, not a private foundation, so we don’t get to dictate to our partners,” he said. “We have to remember, ‘Who is our primary customer? Who are we here to serve?’ Our most important job is not creating barriers.”
By nature, Huenemann said, community foundations tend to be territorial, as their mission largely involves convincing donors to use their organization to financially support the causes they favor.
“I don’t think the foundation has fully embraced our statewide opportunities,” he said. “We’re a little bit heavy on the north side, so there’s some opportunity there. … We’ve got a long way to go to fully embrace a statewide presence.”
Huenemann also described community foundations as “a privileged environment within a privileged sector,” noting the need to remain humble.
“You have to work two times as hard not to let that get to your head,” he said. “You have to keep in the forefront of your mind your role is to be of service to the people of New Mexico.”